Patents Assigned to The University of British Columbia
  • Patent number: 11022066
    Abstract: An actuator device includes a housing that defines an enclosed volume region, the housing comprising a movable surface such that at least a portion of the housing is expandable between an expanded state to a contracted state, and the enclosed volume region having a characteristic dimension that is defined as a cube root of an average of a volume of the enclosed volume region in the expanded state and in the contracted state, a working fluid within the enclosed volumetric region, the working fluid comprising a substantially transparent compressible fluid and electromagnetic (EM) radiation-absorbing solid elements distributed within the compressible fluid, wherein the solid elements have an absorptivity in a particular range of EM radiation wavelengths, a heating system for directing thermal energy into the working fluid at predetermined times, and wherein the housing includes an EM radiation transmitting portion having a sufficient area and a sufficient transparency such that more than 25% of the thermal energ
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: The University of British Columbia
    Inventors: Alireza Nojeh, Lorne A. Whitehead
  • Patent number: 10989716
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods of diagnosing acute rejection of a cardiac allograft in a subject using genomic expression profiling, proteomic expression profiling, or both on panels of nucleic acid markers and proteomic markers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: The University of British Columbia
    Inventors: Bruce McManus, Raymond Ng, Scott Tebbutt, Janet Wilson-McManus, Zsuzsanna Hollander, Karen Lam, Virginia Chen, Darlene Dai, Casey Shannon, Andrew Ignaszewski, Robert Balshaw, Robert McMaster, Paul Keown
  • Publication number: 20210113974
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed towards improved systems and methods for large-scale production of nanoparticles used for delivery of therapeutic material. The apparatus can be used to manufacture a wide array of nanoparticles containing therapeutic material including, but not limited to, lipid nanoparticles and polymer nanoparticles. In certain embodiments, continuous flow operation and parallelization of microfluidic mixers contribute to increased nanoparticle production volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Applicant: The University of British Columbia
    Inventors: Euan Ramsay, Robert James Taylor, Timothy Leaver, Andre Wild, Kevin Ou, Colin Walsh
  • Patent number: 10973559
    Abstract: Systems and methods for intermedullary bone fracture fixation are described herein. The fixation device includes a main body having a flexible state and a rigid state. The fixation device further includes a proximal interface coupled to a proximal end of the main body to anchor the fixation device to an exterior surface of the bone and a distal interface coupled to a distal end of the main body to anchor the fixation device to an interior cavity of the bone. The fixation device further includes a locking interface to configured to convert the main body from the flexible state to the rigid state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignees: University of British Columbia, British Columbia Cancer Agency Branch
    Inventors: Edward Scott Harshman, Steven Charles Dimmer, David Thomas Stinson
  • Patent number: 10961604
    Abstract: This application pertains to methods of recovering metals from metal sulfides that involve contacting the metal sulfide with an acidic sulfate solution containing ferric sulfate and a reagent that has a thiocarbonyl functional group, wherein the concentration of reagent in the acidic sulfate solution is sufficient to increase the rate of metal ion extraction relative to an acidic sulfate solution that does not contain the reagent, to produce a pregnant solution containing the metal ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: The University of British Columbia
    Inventors: David Dixon, Edouard Asselin, Ahmad Ghahreman, Zihe Ren
  • Patent number: 10954583
    Abstract: This application pertains to methods of recovering metals from metal sulfides that involve contacting the metal sulfide with an acidic sulfate solution containing ferric sulfate and a reagent that has a thiocarbonyl functional group, wherein the concentration of reagent in the acidic sulfate solution is sufficient to increase the rate of metal ion extraction relative to an acidic sulfate solution that does not contain the reagent, to produce a pregnant solution containing the metal ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: The University of British Columbia
    Inventors: David Dixon, Edouard Asselin, Ahmad Ghahreman, Zihe Ren
  • Patent number: 10958148
    Abstract: A displacement device includes a stator having non-parallel stator-x and stator-y elongated traces. The device also includes a moveable stage having a first magnet array with first magnetization segments linearly elongated in a stage-x direction and having magnetization directions generally orthogonal to the stage-x direction. The first magnet array includes a first pair of adjacent first magnetization segments made up of two first magnetization segments adjacent to one another in a stage-y direction non-parallel to the stage-x direction. Each first magnetization segment in the first pair has a corresponding magnetization direction oriented at a corresponding angle ?n about a corresponding stage-x axis as measured from a positive stage-z direction that is generally orthogonal to both the stator-x and stator-y directions. The corresponding angle ?n is one of 45°+n90° where n is any integer. Each first magnetization segment in the first pair has a different magnetization direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: The University of British Columbia
    Inventor: Xiaodong Lu
  • Patent number: 10942188
    Abstract: Described are compositions and methods for diagnosing acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (MRM-MS) was used to quantify the amount of protein biomarkers in plasma samples from human subjects. The amount of the biomarkers in the sample can distinguish AECOPD from a stable or convalescent state of COPD, or from a subject without COPD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: The University of British Columbia
    Inventors: Don D. Sin, Raymond T. Ng, Bruce McManus, Zsuzsanna Hollander, Virginia Chen
  • Publication number: 20210052635
    Abstract: Embodiments presented herein relate to various polymers. Some of the polymer embodiments are heparin binding polymers. Some embodiments of the heparin binding polymers can be employed to bind to heparin for methods such as separating, purifying, removing, and/or isolating heparin and heparin like molecules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Applicant: University of British Columbia
    Inventors: Jayachandran N. Kizhakkedathu, Rajesh A. Shenoi, Cedric J. Carter, Donald E. Brooks
  • Publication number: 20210023556
    Abstract: Limit size lipid nanoparticles, methods for using the lipid nanoparticles, and methods and systems for making limit size lipid nanoparticles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Applicant: The University of British Columbia
    Inventors: Pieter R. Cullis, Igor V. Jigaltsev, Robert James Taylor, Timothy Leaver, Andre Wild, Nathan Maurice Belliveau
  • Publication number: 20210023514
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are continuous flow systems having bifurcated fluidic flow mixers. The mixers operate, at least partially, by Dean vortexing. Accordingly, the mixers are referred to as Dean Vortex Bifurcating Mixers (“DVBM”). DVBMs utilize Dean vortexing and bifurcation of the fluidic channels that form the mixers to achieve the goal of optimized microfluidic mixing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Applicant: The University of British Columbia
    Inventors: Euan Ramsay, Robert James Taylor, Timothy Leaver, Andre Wild, Kevin Ou, Colin Walsh
  • Patent number: 10876187
    Abstract: This application pertains to methods of recovering metals from metal sulfides that involve contacting the metal sulfide with an acidic sulfate solution containing ferric sulfate and a reagent that has a thiocarbonyl functional group, wherein the concentration of reagent in the acidic sulfate solution is sufficient to increase the rate of metal ion extraction relative to an acidic sulfate solution that does not contain the reagent, to produce a pregnant solution containing the metal ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: The University of British Columbia
    Inventors: David Dixon, Edouard Asselin, Zihe Ren
  • Patent number: 10876186
    Abstract: This application pertains to methods of recovering metals from metal sulfides that involve contacting the metal sulfide with an acidic sulfate solution containing ferric sulfate and a reagent that has a thiocarbonyl functional group, wherein the concentration of reagent in the acidic sulfate solution is sufficient to increase the rate of metal ion extraction relative to an acidic sulfate solution that does not contain the reagent, to produce a pregnant solution containing the metal ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: The University of British Columbia
    Inventors: David Dixon, Edouard Asselin, Zihe Ren
  • Patent number: 10870903
    Abstract: This application pertains to methods of recovering metals from metal sulfides that involve contacting the metal sulfide with an acidic sulfate solution containing ferric sulfate and a reagent that has a thiocarbonyl functional group, wherein the concentration of reagent in the acidic sulfate solution is sufficient to increase the rate of metal ion extraction relative to an acidic sulfate solution that does not contain the reagent, to produce a pregnant solution containing the metal ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: The University of British Columbia
    Inventors: David Dixon, Edouard Asselin, Zihe Ren
  • Patent number: 10865811
    Abstract: Compositions and methods of preparation and use are provided for an engineered tissue substitute system comprising collagen, glycosaminoglycan and hydrogel in a cross-linked matrix. The compositions may be further lyophilized and reconstituted with a physiological fluid prior to use in methods, such as in the treatment of wounds, tissue engineering and cell transplantation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: The University of British Columbia
    Inventors: Aziz Ghahary, Ryan Hartwell
  • Patent number: 10865460
    Abstract: This application pertains to methods of recovering metals from metal sulfides that involve contacting the metal sulfide with an acidic sulfate solution containing ferric sulfate and a reagent that has a thiocarbonyl functional group, wherein the concentration of reagent in the acidic sulfate solution is sufficient to increase the rate of metal ion extraction relative to an acidic sulfate solution that does not contain the reagent, to produce a pregnant solution containing the metal ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: The University of British Columbia
    Inventors: David Dixon, Edouard Asselin, Zihe Ren
  • Publication number: 20200377946
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are antisense compounds and methods for selectively reducing expression of an allelic variant of a huntingtin gene containing a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). Such methods, compounds, and composition are useful to treat, prevent, or ameliorate Huntington's Disease (HD).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Applicants: Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., The University of British Columbia
    Inventors: C. Frank Bennett, Michael Hayden, Susan M. Freier, Sarah Greenlee, Jeffrey Carroll, Simon Warby, Eric E. Swayze
  • Patent number: 10843194
    Abstract: Limit size lipid nanoparticles, methods for using the lipid nanoparticles, and methods and systems for making limit size lipid nanoparticles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: The University of British Columbia
    Inventors: Pieter R. Cullis, Igor V. Jigaltsev, Robert James Taylor, Timothy Leaver, Andre Wild, Nathan Maurice Belliveau
  • Publication number: 20200363401
    Abstract: Methods and devices are provided herein for identifying a cell population comprising an effector cell that exerts an extracellular effect. In one embodiment the method comprises retaining in a microreactor a cell population comprising one or more effector cells, wherein the contents of the microreactor further comprise a readout particle population comprising one or more readout particles, incubating the cell population and the readout particle population within the microreactor, assaying the cell population for the presence of the extracellular effect, wherein the readout particle population or subpopulation thereof provides a direct or indirect readout of the extracellular effect, and determining, based on the results of the assaying step, whether one or more effector cells within the cell population exerts the extracellular effect on the readout particle. If an extracellular effect is measured, the cell population is recovered for further analysis to determine the cell or cells responsible for the effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: The University of British Columbia
    Inventors: Marketa RICICOVA, Kevin Albert HEYRIES, Hans ZAHN, Oleh PETRIV, Veronique LECAULT, Anupam Singhal, Daniel J. Da Costa, Carl L. G. Hansen, Brad NELSON, Julie NIELSEN, Kathleen Lisaingo
  • Patent number: 10835878
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are fluidic mixers having bifurcated fluidic flow through toroidal mixing elements. The mixers operate, at least partially, by Dean vortexing. Accordingly, the mixers are referred to as Dean Vortex Bifurcating Mixers (“DVBM”). The DVBM utilize Dean vortexing and asymmetric bifurcation of the fluidic channels that form the mixers to achieve the goal of optimized microfluidic mixing. The disclosed DVBM mixers can be incorporated into any fluidic (e.g., microfluidic) device known to those of skill in the art where mixing two or more fluids is desired. The disclosed mixers can be combined with any fluidic elements known to those of skill in the art, including syringes, pumps, inlets, outlets, non-DVBM mixers, heaters, assays, detectors, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: The University of British Columbia
    Inventors: Andre Wild, Timothy Leaver, Robert James Taylor